Spectacular display of Spring bulbs with herbaceous borders and beautiful Autumn colours reflected in the lake.
Stroll around the East Lawn, the Orangery, Sunken Garden and Stumpery before walking west around the lake.
Wander through the Maple Garden to the Cascade and sit for a moment on Pope’s Seat before continuing to the Folly and the Clairevoire. Beautiful views across the lake to the Castle.
Marking the end of the circular walk is the Fossil House, a new addition to the historic landscape.
The ruins of the old Castle are now looked after by English Heritage.
Sherborne Castle is home to the Wingfield Digbys.
Historic Houses members visit for free.
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Sherborne Castle has a fascinating history. Queen Elizabeth I gave the land to Sir Walter Raleigh but unable to modernise the 12th century castle, Raleigh built a new house across the River Yeo in 1594. After Raleigh was arrested for treason, Sherborne was bought by Sir John Digby in 1617. The estate has remained in the Digby family ever since.
Formal gardens were created in 17th century with terraces, a bowling green, plantations and a canal. They were remodelled by Robert Digby at the beginning of the 18th century and again by ‘Capability’ Brown for Edward Digby in 1753. Brown removed the formal gardens and created the lake with views between the new Castle and the ruins to the north. Brown also advised on an extensive tree planting campaign, colour grading the different clumps of trees to create an ‘ideal parkscape’.
Alexander Pope visited Sherborne in 1724 and wrote enthusiastically: ‘The Gardens…beauty rises from this Irregularity, for not only the Several parts of the Garden itself make the better Contraste by these sudden Rises, Falls, and Turns of ground; but the Views about it are lett in, & hang over the Walls, in very different figures and aspects’.
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